


taking flight, but with more cats

by Dreamicide



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cat Cafés, Cats, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-16 04:25:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10563666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamicide/pseuds/Dreamicide
Summary: Lance gets chained to a tree and one of Team Voltron's most popular cats gets stolen at the town's local fair.Basically the episode 'Taking Flight' except everyone works at a cat café.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Every VLD fic I write is just me saying "there is no way I could write anything more ridiculous than this" and then subsequently proving myself wrong over and over again.

“ _Guys?_ ”

As soon as Lance’s voice cracks through everyone's shared radio frequency, Keith knows to expect nothing but trouble. Stepping away from their fundraiser table, he leaves a passing group of interested middle schoolers to Shiro as he pulls out his handheld radio. “What is it, Lance?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Hunk and Pidge reaching for their own handhelds, joining in the conversation. “What's up? You've been gone like half an hour, man, we could really use you and Blue back right about now.”

Half an hour since Lance took off with one of the café’s most popular cats, on the pretense of ‘taking her on a walk,’ but not bothering to hide the hearts in his eyes as he skipped away. Keith grumbles to himself.

Lance’s voice mixes with the static, and Keith furrows his brow. It sounds like he's struggling against something. “ _Ha, ha, yeah. About that. Funny story. You remember that couple who were really interested in Blue? Like, really, really interested?_ ”

“Lance…” Hunk says in warning, already cringing with a sigh. He remembers that couple, of course; everyone remembers Hunk’s suspicion of them in particular, narrowing his eyes as they cooed over the cats in their cages and practically looming over the man in particular until they finally moved on to the next table some hours ago. A ‘bad feeling,’ Hunk had cited, always overprotective of their star cats at any sign of trouble.

“ _Okay well you guys can rip into me later but right now it's kind of an emergency because they got Blue_ ,” Lance says in a rush.

“They WHAT?!” Everyone shouts in tandem, including Shiro and Allura, who drop everything immediately and reach for their radios as soon as they hear the news.

“ _She was blue-napped! Cat-napped! And now I'm stuck and can't get her back myself so I really need your help guys please save my baby!_ ”

Keith growls under his breath, already stalking off away from the table. “I'll take care of this. You guys stay here and watch over the others.” Glancing over his shoulder, he gives a single sharp whistle. “Red.”

He's joined by one of the only uncaged cats, orange fur a blur as she sprints out from underneath the table and climbs up Keith’s body, making herself right at home across his shoulders with her claws digging in for purchase. He scritches behind her ear, raising his radio to his lips. “Where are you? Where did they take Blue?”

“ _Other side of the park_ ,” static, “ _by the uh, abandoned playground. Like, way far corner, if I had to guess they're probably circling the pond_.”

“ _And you said you're stuck?_ ” Shiro’s voice comes in.

There's a long pause before Lance answers. “ _They kinda chained me to a tree._ ”

Keith glares at his radio. “Lance?”

“ _Y-yeah?_ ”

He takes a deep breath. “You're an idiot.”

“ _Ha! Don't get ahead of yourself, pretty boy, that's not even the worst of it!_ ” Lance suddenly declares, like there's something to be proud of for exceeding Keith’s expectations.

Pidge's voice pops in the feed as Keith turns toward the local fair’s exit and begins making his way to the direction of the pond, “ _And what would the worst of it be?_ ”

“ _Okay so I’m like, 90% sure they were probably working for Zarkon_.”

“ _I **knew** it!_ ” Hunk’s voice practically splits in half, it cracks so suddenly. “ _Oh, I just flipping knew it!_ ”

He slips into a rant about all the small signs he noticed about them as Keith feels his blood boil and picks up the pace, Red perched carefully on his shoulders. All his teasing immediately drops at the sound of that name.

“I thought Zarkon was only after Black Lion,” he says, referring to the café’s first star cat. A three-legged tuxedo with a heart of gold, Black and Shiro both brought publicity and fame to their café when a picture of them briefly went viral. Black had originally belonged to Zarkon, though, and now that their café shot up in popularity thanks to her, he's made it clear he wants her back. But anyone with eyes could have seen she was mistreated under his care. By the papers - and Black Lion herself - she is with Shiro, but such details are considered insignificant to that man, and apparently he's willing to resort to dirty underhanded tactics to get what he wants.

“ _Yeah, well, looks like he wants all five of our lions now_ ,” says Lance. “ _I don't quiznaking know, maybe he wants to start up his own knock off brand cat café or something_.”

“ _Well whatever his reasons, he's not getting them. Any of them_ ,” comes in Shiro’s voice, thick with determination. “ _Keith?_ ”

“Already at the pond,” says Keith. “But I don't see them.”

He barely gets the word out before Red claws down his chest and kicks off, landing expertly on all fours before sprinting for the edge of the woods that circle the lower half of the pond.

“Hang on, I think Red Lion’s on their tail now,” he quickly amends, clipping the radio to his belt and breaking out into a run, following after her.

All five of the café’s star ‘lions’ had a special bond with one another - it was one reason why they were the only non-adoptable cats in the café. But there was a particular strength in the Red Lion and Blue Lion’s bond no one else could explain. When in the café, they constantly draped themselves over the other, groomed each other, wrestled, and trailed after wherever the other went. One rarely spotted Blue without Red and vice-versa.

That was the main reason why Keith immediately shouldered the responsibility of getting Blue back. Red had some supernatural sense about her that knew where to look for Blue. She was better than a bloodhound when it came to tracking the other lions.

Red darts in and out between the thick copse of trees, dry foliage crunching beneath her paws. Keith keeps up with her as best he can, which is still pretty damn well, and they quickly come across a foot-worn dirt path - one of the park’s small hiking trails, presumably. Red takes a moment to sniff the ground before taking off again, keeping to the path.

Like a bloodhound.

More chatter comes through static on the radio but Keith ignores them in favor of staying with Red Lion, eyes following her bushy tail as she gains distance.

Then, he hears a twig snap and a curse.

Keith picks up speed when he sees two dark figures in the shadows of the trees, and as he gets closer he sees one of them struggling with a squirming bag.

Blue.

“Hey!” he shouts, and the shadows’ heads shoot up toward him.

He hears another curse, and one figure hands the bag with Blue to the other, who immediately has difficulty holding her securely, while the former stays behind for a confrontation.

He doesn't get it.

The figure barely gets out the words, “listen, kid --” before Red abruptly shoots out from nowhere, hackles raised, and claws his thigh with a screech. The guy grunts in pain, kicking out, and Red quickly detaches herself to move on to the other, who shouts and, unable to keep a hold on the bag, drops it and runs.

“Come on, Rolo, forget the stupid cat!”

Red doesn't follow after them, her golden eyes only on the tied bag wriggling on the forest floor. Keith finally catches up by then, and kneels down to carefully untie the knot. The thieves are gone, but he doesn't care about them. The others could look for them later. Right now, getting back their Blue Lion was priority.

Blue shakes out her fur when he uncovers her, face peeking out from the bag’s opening and fellow gold eyes looking up at Keith, then to Red, who chirps and begins to lick her face. Keith gives Blue a once over, relieved when he doesn't see any injuries.

“Hey, Lance,” he says, picking up the radio from his belt. “I got your lion back.”

Keith rolls his eyes when Lance immediately gushes gratitude and praise, a sardonic smile pulling at his lips. He watches his Red grooming Blue for a bit, ears folding back at her rough sandpaper tongue, and blinks when Red pauses to glance up knowingly at Keith.

He stares at her, the way she looks at him then back at Blue, then back to him, and says, “Shut up. I am not licking his face.”

She gives him a mrrp that seems to say ‘suit yourself’ and resumes her attentions to Blue.

*

“ _So, uh…_ ” Lance voice comes in a few minutes later as Keith heads back through the woods, flanked by cats trotting along victoriously. “ _Now can you come and unchain me?_ ”

Keith stops in his tracks and stares at his handheld. Red and Blue continue on in their prance without him. “I'm sorry, I'm a little confused. You're _still_ chained to a tree? Why haven't any of you guys gone to help him?” he says, addressing the rest of their party.

There’s a small pause, before Hunk speaks up. “ _Well, it seemed you just kinda took over the situation yourself, we figured you wanted to handle everything. Including rescuing the damsel in distress_.”

Keith narrows his eyes at the radio, like if he can glare hard enough then the others could feel it. That's bullshit, and they know it.

“Fine,” he grits. “I'll be there in fifteen, Lance.”

*

Blue Lion dashes up to Lance as soon as she sees him, lying sprawled on the ground with his arms wrapped around the trunk of a tree. He cries out in joy, making cooing noises and calling her baby names as she licks his nose and he babbles over her kisses. Keith just rolls his eyes, withdrawing a bolt cutter from his utility pouch as he steps closer.

“You, uh,” Lance pulls his face away from Blue to give Keith a weird look. “You just carry that thing around on you all the time?”

Kneeling before the handcuff chain, Keith scoffs. “Would you rather I put this away and wait an hour as we call park services for help?”

“No,” Lance says quickly. “No, no, carry on.”

Blue crawls up on Lance’s back and sits proudly, fluffy tail swishing and tickling his nose. Red rubs her face on Lance’s, then checks up on Keith’s progress. He grunts when he cuts each chain link, the metal strong and sturdy, but eventually Lance is able to withdraw his wrists away from the tree, rubbing the cuffs. They'll have to wait until a bit later to remove those. Blue slides off his back as he pushes himself up, and fist pumps the sky.

“Finally free!” He turns to Keith with a bright grin, one Keith knows is genuine. “Thank you, Keith. You're my hero, man!”

Keith snorts. “I thought Shiro was your hero.”

“Yes, well, I will be the first to admit his name fits the song much better than yours does.” Leaning down to pick up Blue, Lance walks by Keith’s side as they start to head back to their fundraising table, Red climbing back up Keith’s shoulders again. When Keith raises an eyebrow, Lance elaborates by belting out into song.

“ _I need a Mullet, I'm holding out for a Mullet ‘til the end of the night! He's gotta be_ \- hey Keith, buddy, where’re you going?”

“To re-evaluate my life and choices,” Keith deadpans, leaving Lance behind.

**Author's Note:**

> me @ das: i think i just made their cats gay in the cat cafe au
> 
> (ten minutes later)
> 
> me @ das: yeah i just made these cats really gay


End file.
